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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: saw · foot · last · patient · row · stick · pound · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. last — finally
  5. foot — a measure
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a line
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. last — final
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com